Forgetting David

Today I am thankful. 

Have you ever met someone, for the first time, and known you’d met one of your people?  This is a story about one of my people.  I only spent a little bit of time around this man, but he impacted me in an eternal way. We met in 2012 to discuss his youngest daughter’s wedding plans. 

First a little background about my photography:

For the past two decades, I have had a camera in my hand. These days it is usually a small camera or my phone. I prefer a real camera. If the tool isn’t a joy to use, I won’t use it. I love the cameras on these phones, but they lack any tactile, heart-burning energy for me. It’s a phone that includes a lens. I get lots of photos with my phone that are special to me and my family, but a real camera gives me different kind of permission. I am invited into people’s lives and want to capture them the way God wants the world to see them. 

Documentary photography breathes life into me. I simultaneously pour myself out. Real life is crazy exciting and I love capturing it. If you are familiar with my work, I hope it helps you see, how I see people. I look for uninterrupted moments. I’ve always been drawn to gritty black-and-white photos of real life. I found these in Life Magazine as a kid. These photos made me ‘Feel’ Something. The subjects were not aware of the camera. That’s why they felt so different. When someone views my photographs, I want them to experience the moment as I did. I am not sure it is possible, but that’s my goal. 

I shoot from my heart, to give to others. It was never about money, though I am thankful for my family being taken care of. It was a neat, long season of my life. It enriched my appreciation for all of creation. It took me all over the world, including the continent of Africa twice. I’m sure this won’t be the only time I share about photography. It is a big part of my story. Making a living with a camera was humbling and awesome. I never felt like a pro. I am a hobbyist that loves people and human connection. I wanted to be able to give the families a way to see their love for one another.

Weddings were my focus because it’s like a Superbowl of moments and tiny stories happening all around you. I didn’t love weddings, I loved the people! I enjoyed the weddings 🙂 Sometimes a spectacular moment would happen I’d be in the right place at the right time. That’s magical for a photographer. Stay Curious – was my motto.

I’m blessed for all of the experiences I witnessed. I was able to photograph hundreds of weddings over a 16-year period. I have one scheduled on the books for late 2023.  This is a dear friend of mine’s, only daughter, so it is super special. Their family has suffered some loss as well.

I finished weddings in 2021 which were mostly pushed from 2020. I was ready for change and Katie and I had a new baby in 2021. I wanted to get the weekends back.  Thank you to all of my families. You made me better and helped me see people for who they are. One of my greatest received gifts. Weddings helped me see the whole being of people. It reminds me of the need for human connection and love. This world keeps turning and getting more unsettling each day. Crisis everywhere and nothing is more shameful than the cancel/censoring culture. People need a way to call out for help and when you don’t let them you harm them. God made us to take care of one another. We can do better. We are the human race. Love accordingly 🙂

Enough background… I apologize. I get excited talking about what photography provides to the world.

The Father of the Brides.
I’m attentive to the father/daughter relationship. I have two young daughters and want to learn.

Way back in the fall of 2012, I met with a wonderful family. We met at Panera and I got there first. I grabbed a table and waited for them. I had never met this family but knew it was them coming through the double doors. I felt it. I stood to greet them and we hit it off. Great conversation and many laughs later, we parted ways. I can’t remember if we closed the deal that day or not. I’m a terrible salesman, so I probably let them leave without booking me. Whether they did or not, I was happy. We did close the deal eventually, or I would not be able to share this story.  

I rarely got to meet families before the wedding day. Since I knew we all connected so well, I knew it was gonna be good.  This is key to being among families on such a special occasion. Even though I am an observer, rather than a director telling everyone what to do, I still want the families to be comfortable with me because I will be among them all day.

After the meeting. As we were shaking hands, the father gave me an off-the-cuff gift, which made us all laugh so hard! I laughed the hardest, but I am not sure if the family even remembers. When I saw him again, 8 years later at his other daughter’s wedding, I brought it up and he didn’t remember.  He said it sounds like something he would do. Yes, eight years later I was able to photograph his other daughter’s wedding! I was so happy to know I would be around this family again.

The gift he handed me, of all things, was a Mustard Pack. It was so random! I don’t know where he pulled it from, but he gave it to me and said “Here’s a mustard pack. A gift from the Seltmanns”. If you knew him, you would understand the comic relief in the moment. I said, “Thank you! I will keep this with me always.” 

True story, I put the mustard pack in my left coat pocket. Each time I wore it I would feel that Mustard Pack in there. For some reason, I liked it and didn’t throw it away. When I felt it, I would think of him and smile. I think that little pack gave me hope.

A few years went by and I forgot about the whole meeting. I can’t remember the year (many later), but I put that old jacket on once again and felt the mustard pack in the pocket. Instantly it transported to that meeting, the gift of the mustard pack, and the wedding. That hopeful feeling came back too.  I cannot remember ever tossing the packet, but the coat I wore is gone. However, the hope remains.

I took a break from being online this year. I needed to reboot and had nothing of value to share. Social media can be a slippery slope for the weak in spirit. During this rest, it has gotten easier to stay focused on the important things. Changing habits isn’t easy. It takes time and before you know it you get better at doing the opposite of what you usually do. The ole ‘Forgetting David’ theme. Love instead of Hate, Encourage instead of Criticize. It really does change the game. God knew what he was doing when He gave us his words.

I am still relatively quiet online. This site is where I will be mostly. I wanted to create a healthy place to share and connect with you.

Last week I hopped on Instagram and saw my friend’s daughter’s Thanksgiving post. I read the words:

Although family and myself are deeply grieving and missing my dad, I am beyond grateful for my incredibly supportive friends and family.

I had the wind knocked out of me. His name is Gregg Seltmann and I want to share this personal story.

This is the first time I am writing about this. Writing his name just stopped me in my tracks. I only spent about 20 hours around Gregg, but the impact he made on me as a father and a husband will last through eternity. The heart is a mystery, which will never stop intriguing me.

Gregg was funny. He and I had the same sense of humor. I was attracted to his energy instantly. He was confident and happy in a selfless way. Most fathers don’t come to the meeting with the photographer. The dads typically write the checks, though. Thank you Dads for feeding my flock. His wife and daughters only made him shine more. His love for them was written on all their faces. 

After the shock of reading this news, I eventually went to find his obituary and some words his daughter wrote. They confirmed my impression of him. He was based in Truth and Love. The word ‘based’ these days is over-used in an unhealthy way. Based in our culture means – “Shaming to appear Better.”  Being based in Truth and Love means: Losing yourself, to be used by God for His purposes. Culture is Fear, God is Love. Gregg showed God’s love effortlessly. His light shined so bright. Like my friend, Rob’s father that passed earlier this year. We lost two bright lights this year. Damn, so many now that I am recalling all those who have gone home this year. They are much better off than we are here, but I am not in a hurry to join them!  We got work to do down here!

Gregg didn’t show love through words only. He showed it through his actions. That’s how I saw him. He walked the talk, though I don’t think we ever talked spiritually. We didn’t need to, I knew he was here doing God’s work for him. He did it well. 

The look in his eyes when he saw his daughters, for the first time, in their beautiful gowns – was pure love of a father. What an honor I had to document moments like these. I photographed in the hopes that viewers would feel what I felt when I pressed the shutter. I don’t know if that is possible, but that is what I wanted. I prayed before every shoot, “God help me see these people the way You see them. Help me to capture them with your Eyes so the world can see them the way you want them to. Amen”. It worked every time. If a shoot wasn’t going well, I would keep praying and it would get better. As a photographer, looking to capture life, you need all the help you can get. I would never have made my images without Him being part of who I am.

The way Gregg danced with his daughters and held them with such admiration. His laugh was one of the best ever! I have to go through some photos to share and I am certain I have some. (Photos shared Below)

Gregg was a true family man. Everyone around him loved him. He was charismatic and hilarious.

Here is an excerpt from his obituary:

“Gregg valued his time spent with family more than anything. His love for his wife, daughters and grandchildren is immeasurable. He was authentic with a deep Christian faith, loved dogs and could never pass one up. Gregg was immensely patriotic, supporting the Wounded Warrior Project and Tunnel to Towers Organization for many years.”

You can view Gregg Seltmann’s obituary here:

https://tinyurl.com/bdecexbh

20 hours with this guy, changed my life forever. In that little bit of time, I learned many things from him. First, be bold in who you are and be who God made you to be. I don’t know of any internal struggles he had, but Gregg was authentic. What you saw is what you got. I was blessed for having met him. When he talked he was engaged with you. He listened, he shared and he laughed. I wasn’t surprised when I read others’ words about him, they matched my impression of him. Gregg loved God, Family, and Country. He wore his heart on his sleeve like me. Mine is tattooed on my arm. The love his wife and daughters had for him was tangible. I saw myself in him, and I hope I can impact someone the same way one day.

I miss you brother. As I am torn writing these words, getting this story out of me was important. It was important and urgent for me to share. I want to help share your legacy of being genuine and kind. I’m thankful for showing me a healthy way to live and love. The thing I cherish most is that damn mustard packet you gave me. I carried it for years, I don’t remember tossing it but I lost it. The good news is the contents of the pack bled into me and added to the mustard seed of faith in my heart. You added a big golden glob of mush to it, which softens it to this day.

To the Seltmann family. I hope you find joy and peace in these words. There is no doubt Gregg is having the time of his life loving and laughing with all his new friends and old, in heaven. I am going to smoke a cigar for you Gregg!

God bless us everyone. 

The little moments in your life can add some of the biggest values to your life. It’s the little things that ARE important.  Be open to listening and learning, we are all practicing. Love hard!

Peace and Love,

Dave Burke

PS –
In my life, nothing happens by chance. God is real and his hand is in every aspect of our lives. The times I have ignored this truth, haven’t gone well. God doesn’t punish us. It may feel like it, but he doesn’t. He loves us. Stick around with us and I will use everything I can to help you find him. This message of Love and saving Grace, has been lost in our culture and religions. Our God is a loving God reaching out to us, waiting for our attention to him. He does not reject us, we reject Him. He is patient, kind, and, loving….. Everything that is Good.  The way to him is with a personal relationship, through Jesus Christ. This is where you will find PEACE.  Start your search with Jesus. His promises are Truth. “Seek and you will find. Ask and you shall receive.” This is my story and I am sticking to it. —Love you all

Good Morning! Welcome to Episode 02 of the Forgetting David Podcast.

I am continuing this new adventure of seeking truth, relating, and sharing as I go. I am a student and always will be. Having a microphone is not something I take lightly. If I want to start conversations I have to reveal who I am, to anyone willing to listen. In our culture of canceling people we disagree with, the norm seems to Jump on the Shame Train and tear others down. Do what everyone else does, right?!

That life isn’t for me. I have fallen into it before and it feels like crap to me. Life is hard enough my friends. We all suffer and see suffering, if we look.

This past week, my family and others within our circle, were struck with suffering. Three unexpected deaths in a week. Ages 29, 54, 75. No warnings, no signs. Taken from here and loved ones left with their hands up.

Suffering can swoop in and take you off of your perch. It’s not fun, but it is part of our life here. Jesus says, we will experience suffering while we are here. He gives his followers, the Holy Spirit to help them through these times. Even though I know this, I haven’t tapped into it throughout my sufferings. I am now and I can assure you it is different. There is still pain and suffering, but a peace that comes with it, when you lean into His love and promises.

Suffering doesn’t just show up as an unexpected death. I think most of us have an internal suffering, that is constant. Nothing really seems to take the pain away.

In this episode I share about the suffering around us as well the suffering from within. I hope you join me on this journey of searching for truth, applying the learning and sharing with others.

I love you all!

Dave

Happy Monday folks! How’s your head today? I am hoping you don’t have a case of the Mondays.

If you have a case of the Mondays or not, it’s a great day to renew your mind bit.

I mentioned in the first podcast, how I spent so much time living in the ‘hurt’ instead of being present.

My definition of the hurt: I created my own self-image, which wasn’t healthy. Focusing on my negatives and weaknesses, rather than living in my strengths.

I come from Love, baby! I have wonderful loving parents, who love me still. I am blessed to have an amazing step father and step mother to boot. God was very good in setting my parents up with there forever partner, after their divorce. Divorce is sad and it has consequences, however there can be beautiful restoration if you are open to it. All 4 of my parents have taught me so much, and built amazing traits into my character. They have loved me hard, always there for me when I reach out.

As a kid, I made the mistake of holding things in. I knew at a young age, I was different than any boy I had ever met. I had a softer demeanor than they did. We shared our curiosity and adventurous spirits, but there was a toughness about some of the other boys I did not have. This made me feel shame. No one told me to be ashamed. I didn’t realize until decades later, that my view of myself was ‘not enough’ from a young age. This was my own doing. Coming from the home life I had there was nothing, I mean zippo – that influenced this identity within me. I didn’t know what was up with me. I couldn’t have talked to my parents or sister about it, because I didn’t know what to say.

My older sister, Amy and me, had the best of times in our first house on Songo street. I remember her and I plotting to annoy our mom and it worked! hahaha When the three of us chat about those times now, it brings back so much fun! I remember the house well and I how I felt in there. I was safe.

I was safe and sensitive. I was sensitive but I definitely loved girls. Although shy, I was a flirt. I wanted to be something I wasn’t, a hard ass. I was influenced by the neighborhood bully and his little sidekick brother. These dudes came around and started throwing around language that I had never heard before. These guys were bad assess and they were taking names. I was terrified and in awe. How can I be like that? Well, when you are raised to LOVE others, that’s where you operate from. That was me.

As I grew older, I eventually had to fight to defend myself from bully’s. I would throw a few quick punches, feeling terrible about what I am doing, then go into defensive mode and protect myself. I wanted to get it over with. There were a few times I agreed to go toe to toe with a kid, and as soon as I caused him to bleed I was done. I was out, I couldn’t stand that I was hurting someone.

I have a fighting spirit, but love drives this fight. When my fighting spirit comes from anger/hate I harm myself more than others.

I am glad those days are over! haha. No more fist-fighting for me. The only way that is going to happen is if there is an immediate threat to me or my flock. Then look out. That fighting spirit from love is gonna bite ya back hard.

Most of my discontentment came from not ‘being enough’. When you tell yourself this lie long enough, it becomes your identity. It did for me anyway. Discontentment breeds fear and fear leads to control. You hold on too tightly and things break, mainly you are breaking and probably hurting those around you.

The only thing we have control over is how we respond to things.

My problem goes back to this principle quoted here. I’m responsible for my life. It is my response, which is important. When faced with a few tragedies, my response was not healthy. I blamed myself for the tragedies. This just added confirmation that I was bad and not good enough.

I don’t do this anymore. That is behind me. I am in a good place mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. I am experiencing peace, genuine peace for the first time. The rush is gone, it’s now calm, intentional steps. What a relief.

How can we renew our mind?

There is good news. The Bible, ya know the best selling book of all time, is filled with all kinds of Life Giving Principles. If you never decide to believe in God, I believe you can appreciate the principles and probably apply most of them in your life. He designed us, in His image.

If you’re ready for a mind renewal, I invite you to read one chapter of a book, in the library of the Bible. Romans chapter 12 provides a wealth of information to help you through the process. It’s a great place to start, whether you believe or not.

² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

We are all God’s children. He has good and perfect plans for each of us. He wants to transform us, by renewing our minds, living to honor and obey him. The word ‘Obedience’ gives most people the heeby geebies. No one likes or wants to be told to OBEY. Our initial reaction is to flee and rebel. Why do you think there is so much rebellion against God. Obedience get’s thrown around like wranglers rope. It snags people and they are kicking and flailing, to get out of the grip.

This isn’t the obedience God intends for us. He doesn’t want us miserable and wondering aimlessly. No, He Loves us. He created us for his pleasure. He wants us to be close to him. He knows what is best for us. He wants our obedience because He loves us and we become obedient out of this love. We start living this way and things begin to change. If we love our god and others (even our enemies), we can’t help but change for the better.

He gave us His son Jesus, so we can have this new life he promised. This may be hard to understand. I pray this place will help you and me work through this together.

This a place to move the ball forward. If I say something here that hurts people, I am missing the mission. I am here to lift up, not tear down. He is lifting me up out of the sludge and He can do the same for you.

Love you all.

Dave

Hi! I’m Dave Burke. Welcome to the Forgetting David Podcast.

I am The David in the title. This episode is an introduction to the meaning and purpose behind Forgetting David. 

In short, I want to live a good life and care for those I love. I do have this and strive to live this way. Something had been missing for the most part. When setting down the path I think is good, I end up stumbling and fumbling. Living from a place of fear and doubt instead of love and peace. Love and Peace comes from Faith. 

This year,2022, I turned 50 and many unexpected speed bumps began to arise. This eventually turned into broken roads that I could not longer maneuver and something had to change. 

I remembered something from when I was 12 years old and always have carried it with me. This thing, I carried, made me feel good but uneasy, sure but doubtful, courageous and scared. All opposites! These things working together all the time. It’s how we respond to them that makes a difference. This is where I needed most help. Responding well to things I do not know, understand or fear. I also needed better intention behind my decision making.

A change started in me this year. I am still perfectly-imperfect, but changing for the better daily. As I seek answers and truth my identity and purpose are beginning to take shape! Each path I have taken has been my choice. What we want (or think we want) may not always be what we need.  

I hope you join me on this journey and share in the process of reaching out to help our brothers and sisters that are feeling stuck, unsure, afraid, angry, bitter or lost. We can be the solution together.

Learning to love yourself is radical. If you don’t love yourself in a healthy way, you won’t be able to love your neighbor as yourself – authentically. You‘re probably good to your neighbor now. (neighbor = is anyone that is not you). This changed things for me.

Are you as kind to yourself as you are to others?

I have not been so kind to myself. I never have been. This is changing by the day and it is a good feeling.

After hitting a rock bottom (for me) earlier this year, I reached up and asked Jesus to pick me up. I knew about Jesus, but I didn’t KNOW Him.

My Dad introduced me to Jesus when I was 12. I heard the Good News many times. I have shared it many times. I didn’t live it. I lived pieces that appealed to me but wasn’t living the core of the Gospel (Love the Lord your God, Love your Neighbor as yourself). I had weighed myself down with so much, in the name of fear and control. I couldn’t handle all of the responsibility I placed. I was also becoming cynical and critical of most everything. I was a problem adding to a bigger problem within our culture. It didn’t feel right, but I wasn’t doing anything to change it.

In my lifetime, I have never seen so much self hatred, pain and ugliness on display.

Have you? When feeding your eyes and ears to all the negativity, it sucks you in. Before you know it, you have become the very thing you hated.

It may not even be obvious to you. You have to be honest with yourself and ask:

● How am I doing?
● How’s my heart?
● Am I living out my purpose?
● Do I even know what my purpose is?

At my low point, these questions overwhelmed me. I hadn’t take time to reflect for too long. I was in constant rush and go mode. As I began to examine myself, I knew I was lost again. I’d become a lone wolf. In reality, I was a lone sheep. Sputtering along, letting fear guide my decisions, and fumbling all over myself. In my state of being now, I can see Jesus laughing (lovingly of course) at me through these times, while he is walking beside me. He gets a kick out of my “control freak” demeanor. It amuses Him as I carry heavy things and then add more, thinking I can handle it. He’s like, “I see you, haha go ahead, I’ll be here when you’re ready”, shaking his head and smiling at me.

There was a weekend this past April, that made this all crystal clear. I have been the nemesis in my life. I am responsible for where I am today. This is on no one else. I had fallen back into the hurt little kid I’ve carried inside for 50 years. The difference this time, is my heart,head and gut are all aligned.

I have to stop trying to control each aspect of my life.

I’m married, with 4/5 children living at home. I am the sole protector and provider. I want the best for them and live like it is on me to make it happen. This has worn me down. Well-intentioned, maybe even noble, but misguided. I was doing the heavy lifting thinking Jesus was there for moral support. I didn’t understand Him as the helper.

I am learning it’s not my responsibility to do and know everything.

I only have to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving. It’s working, things are changing. I am still doing the work I feel necessary to be the best I can for my family, but I no longer worry about the ‘results’. I hand that part over to Jesus, because this is all he asks of us. I am learning about Jesus as a man. I believe He is the Son of Man, as he says. He says He is the way, truth and the life. I choose to believe. His principles are valuable and He wants us close to him, doing things to bring praise to His name.

He says, ‘Follow Me. Seek and you will find. Ask and it will be given to you.’

I’d heard these words a bazillion times in my life. I have been in and out of churches since I can remember. Long stretches in, longer stretches out. I understood the words in my head, however, my heart never was in it. I also felt like a hypocrite sharing the Gospel of Jesus, while I felt I was a mess.

I let religion and people get in the way of the most important element of the Christian faith: Jesus. Jesus needs to be the center, the core. Everything else can get noisy and distract you from the Truth.

Remember Jesus First, Religion after.

If a religious leader, person, or guidelines put the heavy lifting on you, it is time to reprioritize. A good church community is awesome. When rooted in the Gospel, the feel is different. There is no perfect church though. Take it from me, as soon as I walk into one, it is dirty, because I am not perfect. Churches are for the imperfect, thankfully. Jesus came for the sick.

After the April weekend(a religious men’s weekend focused on Jesus Christ), I decided it was time to relearn about Jesus. I hadn’t taken it upon myself to do the research and find out Who Jesus is. I read books, and some bible, and listened to pastors, podcasts, and family/friends. I didn’t approach it from an utterly helpless place like I needed to.

I assumed I accepted Jesus, He is in my heart and I am saved. This was and is true. I wasn’t living in His peace and grace and strength.

I had ignored the signs, the trip-ups, the conflicts, the constant anxiety, and the rush. The problems were the focus and it was up to me to fix everything. I took pride in my ability to be a fighter and want to do the right thing. I was falling all over myself. All the while He has been beside me, carrying me mostly.

I am sharing with you because deep down there is a hole in my heart. I recognize this and admit it. I’ve tried to fill it with every good and bad thing this world has to offer. Nothing has come close to filling it.

He was waiting for me to turn to Him and say, Ok I give up. I surrender. That word surrender, scary.. Yikes… I had no choice.

There were serious things going on in my life and all around me. I knew I couldn’t control any outcomes. The chaos in the world was sucking me in because I was letting it. I was feeding myself everything negative.

You are what you eat. That doesn’t mean just what goes in your mouth. It’s through your eyes and ears too. Feed yourself negativity, you become it. Feed yourself positivity you become it. Neither is sustainable for a healthy life. Pretending to be positive when inside you are miserable, shows. Those that love you will let you know. If you’re like me, I go deaf when I hear this from those loved ones.

Now, I am listening better and my patience is growing.

Learning to love yourself is imperative. It is for you, your family, and everyone you have the ability to encounter. I have not loved myself. I stayed in the hurt, pain, shame, and guilt. For comfort, I’d turn to booze. Booze provided temporary relief, only to make things worse later. Alcohol became a demon that would take my mind to dark places. It kept me as a prisoner of pain. Once the party ended I would be alone with my own thoughts. It was not a healthy place for me. I prayed for God to quench that thirst. He has. It is no longer my go-to pain reliever. We don’t keep it in the house. When we are out I can have one, or two at most and enjoy our time.

No matter how hard I tried, I could not love myself. Confidence evaded me. Never feeling like I ‘fit in’ even as an adult. I had no beacon that I was aiming for, no plan. I am still not much of a planner and never will be. I have ADHD so that is not gonna work for me haha

I am thankful for that weekend in April. It was a new beginning. I continue to strive each waking day, for a new beginning. Yesterday is gone, tomorrow I may not be here. I want to focus on being present. Here now doing the work I was designed to do. It’s these words I share. I have always wanted to help others. I have in different ways, but nothing felt like a good fit. Since deciding to learn about Jesus as the Son of Man, things are changing. My heart is changing. He has been in there since I asked Him to be when I was 12 years old. Instead of focusing on all of the struggles in my heart, I am focused on learning His ways. At 50 I cannot think of anything more important than to plant seeds for Jesus. I want to help grow His Kingdom. He has given me many stories to share glimpses into his promises.

If you are reading this, I encourage you to think a little about yourself and where you are. What about that heart of yours? I have always been interested in the heart. It’s an amazing instrument inside us capable of beautiful and horrible things. If you have any doubts about yourself, believe me, God knows you. He sees you and He is waiting for you to accept His invitation to follow Him.

Jesus doesn’t say “You have to do this before you follow me. You have to change this about yourself before you can follow me.” He just says ‘Follow Me’. In other words, come as you are, you are one of my sheep and I am your Shepard. I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am here always and forever.

There is nothing else in the world that promises this. Lots of false prophets and doctrines out there. The lure of religion attracts many. Jesus was a humble carpenter. He was born out of poverty. Coming into the world, naked like the rest of us. He loves His people and wanted to be below everyone so He could serve them through love. The love in your heart comes from God. He wants us to follow Him, to help Him plant seeds and grow His Kingdom.

I feel a draw to share stories of hope and healing, because our world needs it. We all deserve to be restored. Restoration of our mind, bodies and souls. I have spent most of my life reliving the hurt I have dealt to others, hurt I’ve received and traumatic experiences.

This is NOT what He wants for me and you.

He does the changing, we cannot do ourselves. If you Follow Him, you will change. It’s a guarantee. He didn’t come to condemn you in your sins (struggles). He came to save you FROM them. Some of those struggles may never completely vanish. He promises as we follow Him, He helps us with our struggles. He only wants us to be Free in Him.

If you’ve never considered this, and you are intrigued, we can say a simple prayer together:
Dear Jesus, Thank you for your message. I know and accept I am broken inside. Though I have good intentions, I cannot keep up and am not content. I accept your invitation to follow you and ask you to be with me in my heart. I pray that you start showing me who you are, through my life. Amen.

Have a great week!